Monday, February 12, 2007

54 Hapua St, Remuera

This is part of a project in north-east Remuera, which included three connected ('semi-detached) townhouses. From memory, this is the largest of the three. Here's Barfoot's description:

Every now and again, an architecturally outstanding home comes along that is simply unique. Designed by the revered architect Claude Megson in 1974 with high ceilings and voids it presents an uplifting sense of volume and light filed spaces. This solidly built home on its own freehold 306m² site enjoys a quiet, leafy setting. Features 2 bedrooms, 1 1/2 bathrooms, separate living and dining areas which open to private courtyards and garden; including many original 1970's features. Perfectly positioned for optimum sun in winter and shade in summer, this could be your very own private sanctuary. A perfect natural setting just five minutes to the city.

3 comments:

I have close friends who lived in the smaller townhouse next to this property, they lived there sometime in the mid 1980's and loved it, they did change one or two small things, i know that the changed the clolour of the roof from a salmonish pink/red to white and painted some bricks or stones?, luckily claude visited them and praised their changes. He really was an incredible Architect who was so ahead of his time. I will never tire of his buildings. Thanks for the blog :)

I lived in 54 Hapua for many years and it was never joined to the other townhouse.There were never three connected as described in the opening of the blog. There are three semi- detached further up the street at 64 Hapua Street.The photos displayed are ones I had taken when I sold it in March 2007.Dorothy Cochrane

WELCOME!

Welcome to the Claude Megson Blog, set up to record and celebrate the architecture of the late New Zealand architect Claude Megson as examples of his work appear around the web.

Most of the pictures posted here come from Real Estate sites, from whom the pictures are harvested before they disappear. Claude treasured his clients' joy in their houses far more than he did publication in glossy magazines; he took as a mark of honour clients' longevity in the houses he designed for them. Consequently, photos of Megson houses up for sale only appear sporadically.

The blog is just the beginning of the necessary larger project of recording and documenting all Megson's houses before "renovation" or (sadly) demolition occurs. This project is still there to do for some knowledgable enthusiast, as is the production of a monograph on his work...

Who was Claude Megson?

Claude Megson was an inspirational architect and teacher. Several generations of Auckland architects are the better for his enthusiastic and knowledgable teaching, and many, many clients have been able to enjoy living in his enormously life-affirming houses.

Beginning his architecural work with architects Gummer and Ford he was soon given a nickname he was quite happy with: "I was always happy to be called Frank Claude Wright," he used to say.

What British architecture writer Geoffrey Broadbent said of Megson's own house could be said about them all:

This is work of a very highinternational standard indeed. ...One is constantly struck by the surprise around the corner, the bright shaft of light penetrating from above into the softer glow of the main living spaces -- especially in Megson' own house -- thatgive his work such very special qualities...

There is an essential "rightness" about Megson's spaces, for pleasant occupation by ordinary, normal human beings. Such things, says Dickson, have gone out of fashion with today's students. Well, so much the worse for the students [and the clients of those students when they graduate!].

Perhaps it hasn't occurred to them that if they design real spaces for human comfort and pleasure, then even those anguished souls overwhelmed by post-Heideggerian "problematics" about the nature of their existence might, given spaces like Megson's to contemplate that nature of their "Being," come to more positive conclusions! Because that's the point about Megson's spaces; they are life-enhancing..